Torpedo-placing machine.



I J. D. BELL.

TOBPEDO PLAGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rum) Amm, 1912.

1,057,917. Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

x5 S momvfrs UNITED STATES .PATENT oFmcE.

JOHN DAVID BELL, 0F ARCADIA,

i'roRPEDo-PLAcme MACHINE.

` 'Specification of Letters IPatent.l applicati@ mea April 1, 191g. serial No. 687,599.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN D. BELL, a citi;

zen of the United States,l and a .resident of Arcadia, in the county of Crawford and vState of Kansas,have invented a new and Improved Torpedo-Placing Machine, of

which the following is a'full, clear, and exthe construction,l so that the retraction of' the holder, after the deposit of one torpedo, disposes a succeeding torpedo in position` to be deposited.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings lforming a part of this specilication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a machine constructed and arranged- -in accordance ,with the present invention, and showing in conjunction therewith a fragment of the platform of a railway carriage. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the machine, taken on the median line; and Fig. 3 is a top plan view, on enlarged scale, of an end fragment of the machine.

As shown -in the previous patent, the trailer frame is provided with side rails 12, united adjacent the lower end by across brace 13, and atv the upper end by a cross brace 14. The trailer frame is provided Y with a hinge section 15. The hinge section 15 is mounted in brackets 16, which are rigidly' attached tothe platform A of the railway carriage. In thismanner, `the trailer frame is removably mounted upon the railway carriage The hinge section 15 is secured to the structure of the trailer frame by a hinge pin 17, which supports the upper end vof said trailer frame when in operative position. The lower end-of said frame is supported by a grooved roller 18,' the said roller being mounted between the rails 12 of said frame. The rails 12 are provided, on the inner side of each, with flanges 19 and 20. `The anges 19 extend the full length of the rails 12, to form the normal support for a sliding block 2,1. The anges 2O are cut away, as shown best in Fig. 3, to form an openmg equaling or exceeding in length the block 21, whereby said block may be removed from engagement with the trailer frame, and whereby the trailer frame maybe charged or loaded with said block and the torpedoes carried thereby. :The inoperative position of the trailer frame is thatwherein it is swung on the hlnge pin 17' to assume a vertical position substantially parallel with the hand rail. B of the railway carriage structure'. It will be understood that the trailer frame is only lowered to the position shown infFig. 2 of drawings during the` operation of depositing' the torpedoes in the rear of'a running train.

The block 21 is utilized to lower the end' vofthe trailer frame, to rest'the roller 18 0n the railway track C. It isv also utilized to lift the trailer frame to the upright position just above referred to, where the frame isse'cured to the hand rail B.v When operated for the latter purpose, the block 1s moved toward the end of the trailer frame adjacent the hinge 17, the said block pass- 'ing between the upper ends of the flanges 19 and 20. The block is moved to this position manually, the person grasping, for this purpose, a handle 22. The handle 22 1s secured by a .pin 23, pivotally, to tabs' 2/1 extended from the body of the block 21. The block 21 is bifurcated, or consists of two parallel side members connected structurally by a cross bar 25, as seen best in Fig. 2 of drawings.

Pivotally mounted upon a pin 27 in advance of the cross bar 25, is a double eX- tension rocking holder. Each holder is provided with a head 26, the under side of which is shaped to provide space for the pivot pins 28 of rocking members 29. The members 29 are each provided to open spring jaws 30, which are mounted on the block 21, to operate in conjunction with a spring 31, to hold rmly but lightly a torpedo D, as seen in Fig. 2 of drawings. The springs 30 are'rigidly mounted in the side rails 12 and operate to rock the members 29, to close the forward ends thereof toward the head 26. For this purpose, each member Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

. 3 of drawings.

i the members 33 are extended above the block ,21 in the pat-h of the cross brace 13,. IThe members 33 are pivoted adjacent each of the heads 26, upon pins 35.' operation of the machine,"the block 21 is forced down toward the rail C, the head 34v on each of the trigger members strikes upon the brace 13, and is rocked thereby, to cause .the toe end. ofk the member 33 to lift the free endof the member 29 adjacent. The rocking of the member 29 in this manner depresses or opDens the springs 30, to release' the torpedo The double' extension holder having the heads 26 is initiallymaintained in the position shown infthe drawingsvat Fi s. 1 and 2 by a latch 36. The latch 36 is urnished with a hook eri-d to engage a latch plate 37, which is rigidly mounted upon the double holder. The latch 36 isv pivotally mounted by means of a pin 38, Vbetween the sides of the block 21 and the tailpiece' 39 of said latch extends between the anges 19 into the'.

path of a lfloor plate 40.

` When the` machine is charged with the torpedoes D, the double holder is rotated upon the pin- 27 to the position shown in Fig. 2 o drawings. In this position, the tension of the .coiled spring 41 is ex erted to rotate the holder to the position shown in dotted lines in'Fig. 2 of drawings. Against the tension of the spring 41, the latch 36 maintains the double holder in set position, engaging for this purpose the latch plate 37. The torpedoes D having been inserted between the jaws 30 and 31', the blocks 21 are introduced through the opening provided in the flanges 20, and are moved toward the brace 13. When, now, it becomes necessary for the brakeman to put a cartridge or torpedo on the track, behindthemoving train, he lowers the trailer frame, until the roller 18 rests upon the rail C. In this position, a ilexible tailpiece E, with which the torpedoes are provided, is extended upon the tread of the rail C, to adjacent the roller 18, just avoiding insertion between the said roller and rail. The above-mentioned position of the tailpiece E of the torpedo is arrived at when the block 21 has been moved, so that one arm of the double holder is extended below the brace 13, in which position, the head When in the.

noone 17 34 of the trigger member 33 rests in Contact with said brace. It will be seen that if now the brakeman presses, by means of the handle 22, the block 21 toward the rail C, the trigger member 33 is rocked on the'pin 38, to open the jaws 30, to vrelease the 'previously-contained torpedo. Coincident with this action, the roller 18 passes vover the same, leaving it stationarily positioned` upon the rail by the cli 42, as seen best in Fig. -1 of drawings. When, now, the operator, desirin to place a second torpedo on the rail, li' ts the block 21, the tailpiece y39 engages the floor plate 40, and is rocked.

thereby, so that the latch 36 releases the plate 37 to permit the spring 41 to rotate.

the double holder, until thel second arm thereof having the head 26, is disposed in substantially the position occupied by the other arm of the holder, which has just been relieved of its torpedo, and which has moved into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The block 21 is now depressed, until the head 34 of the second holder rests in contact with the brace 13, when, as above described, the tailpiece E of the torpedo D is in position to be engaged by the roller 18. The further pressure on the handle 22 now releases the second tor pedo if disposed upon the rail C. The double holder having been thus relieved of both of the torpedoes, the handle 22 and block 21 connected therewith are drawn back, until the blockl 21 passes under the upper extensions of the anges 20. A lift is now exerted upon the trailer frame, which is swung on the pin 17 until'the frame is disposed in upright position adjacent: the

rail B. In this position, and after the trailer frame is secured, the block 21 and part-s connected therewith-are removed from the Jframe, and the torpedoes are replaced in the grasp of the jaws 30, and the double holder is rotated to the position shown in Fig. 2 of drawings. When the block 21.

t-ailpiece E, andthereby holds the torpedo mounted on said lframe to hold said arms in an initial position, means for rotating said arms to present said jaws 1n delivery position successively; means manually operative name to thisshpeciication in the Presence of for vmoving said latch to release said arms; two subscribmg witnesses.

and means manually operative for succesf s' sively opening said jaws to release the tor- JOHN DAVID BELL 5 pedoes when said jaws are in operative po- Witnesses:

sition. F. A. JEWELL,

In testimonywherecf I have Asigned my W. W.- J'Ewmu.. 

